You know how people often talk about a whip and a carrot? The whip being what drives you on when you don't want to, and the carrot motivating the whipping. Well, you need to take the carrot and whip yourself with it.

That analogy aside, motivation is everything. Eat smaller portions. Eat regularly. Sleep normally. Be more active than you usually are. Don't go overboard, it's easy to overdo in the beginning.

Talk to others about your ambition to lose weight and ask for their support in it. It means a lot when the going gets tough!

Three meals a day will leave you with 5~6 hours in between in which you *will* feel hungry. Instead, eat 6 to 8 smaller meals a day. Heavy breakfast, moderate lunch, moderate dinner with three smaller meals in between. These may even be protein shakes, slices of bread or fruit. Just get some in-depth nutrition information and you will loose weight in no-time.

And yes, exercise should be at about 4 times a week.
Serious that is. Not some halfassed 1km walk.

Eating 6-8 meals a day has always left me hungry. Skipping breakfast and eating 3 meals at 12, 4, and 8 has been the easiest way to lose weight for me. Going to sleep hungry sucks but it isnt a big deal to feast on coffee till 12.

Intermittent fasting is for losing weight. Doesnt matter if you are obese or skinny fat.

Correct, although there are a number of things wrong with a fat person going to IF as first solution:

1. The body of obese people is used to a high daily calorie intake. If such a person would stop eating altogether for any period of time, the body would have trouble adapting. Best-case scenario: It will burn excessive fat tissue. Worst-case scenario: The body notices a lack of food and shifts into starvation mode. Homeostasis will eventually kick in anyway, most likely before any decent progress has been made.

2. The mindset of obese people is wrong to begin with. These people are not fat because "God made them fat", but because they lack a number of possible things. Bad nutrition (most likely), bad habits (again, likely), minimal exercise (very likely) and a number of other factors make someone go from lean to fat. Suddenly stop eating for an extended period of time will not make them eat more healthy once they are allowed to eat, nor will they make smarter choices in exercising or change their bad habits because of it. All they will do is stuff their face with the wrong food in a shorter amount of time.

Honestly, I think people who have serious fat issues are better off slowly changing their behavior and lifestyle, than to just try IF for a while. It might help in the very short term (think days, maybe a few weeks -only with dedication- but obese people lack that in general, tbh) but if they have not learned anything about changing their lifestyle, making healthy choices, starting with serious exercising and quitting bad habits, every bit of lost fat will just be temporary.

Correct, although there are a number of things wrong with a fat person going to IF as first solution:

1. The body of obese people is used to a high daily calorie intake. If such a person would stop eating altogether for any period of time, the body would have trouble adapting. Best-case scenario: It will burn excessive fat tissue. Worst-case scenario: The body notices a lack of food and shifts into starvation mode. Homeostasis will eventually kick in anyway, most likely before any decent progress has been made.

2. The mindset of obese people is wrong to begin with. These people are not fat because "God made them fat", but because they lack a number of possible things. Bad nutrition (most likely), bad habits (again, likely), minimal exercise (very likely) and a number of other factors make someone go from lean to fat. Suddenly stop eating for an extended period of time will not make them eat more healthy once they are allowed to eat, nor will they make smarter choices in exercising or change their bad habits because of it. All they will do is stuff their face with the wrong food in a shorter amount of time.

Honestly, I think people who have serious fat issues are better off slowly changing their behavior and lifestyle, than to just try IF for a while. It might help in the very short term (think days, maybe a few weeks -only with dedication- but obese people lack that in general, tbh) but if they have not learned anything about changing their lifestyle, making healthy choices, starting with serious exercising and quitting bad habits, every bit of lost fat will just be temporary.

Lol, suggesting fat people lack dedication. Look, I use to be obese. I did not lack dedication. I lacked education and a desire to lose weight. Once I learned how and I gained the desire, it was easy to lose weight. Hunger is NOTHING.

As for starvation mode... really? Starvation mode does exist but there is no evidence to suggest it occurs based upon how often in a day you eat. Rather, its a response to a net loss in calories eaten. The only study I have ever read that suggests starvation mode occurs in humans is http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11010936. And in that study, they found that 65 calories a day were explained by a net loss in activity (fidgeting) and 55 calories were unexplained (and scientifically insignificant). The other loss in metabolism was explained by a decrease in fat.

I lost a significant amount of weight over the past couple years, mostly within the first 6 months.

What ensured my success:

Knowing what I was fighting for. I wanted to lose weight more than anything on Earth. I wanted to have a healthy body, learn to live a healthy lifestyle in a way that's maintainable and enjoyable forever, and do my best to avoid illness related to overweight/obesity. With that motivation...

I made sure to eat enough. Use an online calculator to figure out your BMR then using that number use another calculator to figure out how many calories you burn while sedentary. Never eat below your BMR. Ever. Losing weight through starvation is never good. You want to be healthy, not completely ruin your metabolism in the meantime.

Lift weights! Increasing muscle mass increases calories burned while resting. Your metabolism will get a great boost! Also, if you are significantly overweight, you likely have a lot of muscle already. Lifting weights from the very beginning lets you retain some of that muscle, while building more. Starting out, I skipped the weight lifting. In just a few months I had lost a lot of weight, yet I also had a lot of sagging ugly skin on my body. Weight lifting helps reduce loose skin. I've since begun lifting and noticed a drastic difference in just a few months, so be sure you're doing it from the beginning!

Also, eat enough protein. Most people don't and if you're lifting weights your muscles need the protein. If you have trouble eating enough eggs, dairy, and meat, try investing in some protein powder. It makes really awesome smoothies when blended with frozen fruit.

Good luck! Losing weight is hard. Dealing with the obstacles of being overweight is also hard. Pick your hard.

Lol, suggesting fat people lack dedication. Look, I use to be obese. I did not lack dedication. I lacked education and a desire to lose weight. Once I learned how and I gained the desire, it was easy to lose weight. Hunger is NOTHING.

As for starvation mode... really? Starvation mode does exist but there is no evidence to suggest it occurs based upon how often in a day you eat. Rather, its a response to a net loss in calories eaten. The only study I have ever read that suggests starvation mode occurs in humans is http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11010936. And in that study, they found that 65 calories a day were explained by a net loss in activity (fidgeting) and 55 calories were unexplained (and scientifically insignificant). The other loss in metabolism was explained by a decrease in fat.

I just wanted to bold this. I wish I could double bold it. I've lost almost 50 pounds in a little bit more than 3 months on a pretty loose IF regime combined with a loose paleo diet and that realization was so key. If I'm hungry outside of meal time I just suck it the fuck up. I'm getting plenty of calories, my nutrition is fine. I'm not going to die if I don't eat until my next meal time.

The Marines like to say that pain is weakness leaving the body. Well, hunger is fatness leaving the body.

edit: Is there any evidence that eating below BMR over the short term is actually unhealthy? I've scoured the web for the science to back it up and all I can find is people referencing back and forth between bodybuilding.com and other popular sites without any reference to actual science.

I just wanted to bold this. I wish I could double bold it. I've lost almost 50 pounds in a little bit more than 3 months on a pretty loose IF regime combined with a loose paleo diet and that realization was so key. If I'm hungry outside of meal time I just suck it the fuck up. I'm getting plenty of calories, my nutrition is fine. I'm not going to die if I don't eat until my next meal time.

The Marines like to say that pain is weakness leaving the body. Well, hunger is fatness leaving the body.

edit: Is there any evidence that eating below BMR over the short term is actually unhealthy? I've scoured the web for the science to back it up and all I can find is people referencing back and forth between bodybuilding.com and other popular sites without any reference to actual science.

There is no evidence to suggest eating below your BMR is bad for you (aside from anorexia/bulimia). Starvation mode is not something the average person needs to worry about. The only people who should worry about it are anorexics. And they have other things to be concerned about.

Diet and lift weights + a little cardio. Stay away from high glycemic carbs, bread, sugary stuff, pastas, etc. eat lean proteins and lots of veggies, you'd be surprised how much you can pile your plate up with the stuff while still staying relatively low calorie wise. And count calories, it's very easy to go overboard. Drink only water and low-ish fat milk. Try to do some sort of strength training. Studies have shown that weight training is far more effective at burning fat than cardio. I think in the most recent one people who dieted alone lost only 30-45% of the mass they lost as fat. The rest was muscle. People who dieted and did cardio lost only about 67% of mass as fat, and people who dieted and did some sort of (full body) strength training for at least 30 minutes a day lost over 90% of mass as fat. You can go pretty low calorie wise, just don't drop below 1100-1400 (depending on your size). "don't go over 2lbs a week" is rubbish so long as your stimulating your muscles, and eating the right kind of food. Lots and lots of fruits and veggies. Keep it up and the lbs will melt away. Don't be afraid to cheat once or twice a week, but don't go and sit in an all you can eat buffet and stay from opening 'till closing! Good luck!

I weigh about 139kg, and I have been running/walking everyday for about an hour and eating less/drinking more water and trying to eat a lot healthier. Was wondering if this is enough to help me lose weight. Also does anyone have any tips on how I can better myself?

I've started this myself actually. Gone down four pants sizes. Cut out sugar, fried foods, fast foods, all soda, and anything else considered unhealthy. Just keep at it. Every day an hour walk. Make sure you really get the blood moving. I wear a backpack with weights to help me burn more while I walk. Oh, and dont get lazy after walking. Do what you normally would. Walking can help you lose weight. It worked for my grandma and its working wonders for me.

A lot of people will say to avoid bread, this simply isn't true. A study was done. With two groups, the one without bread had more people not listen, and just completely quit then the one with bread. There was no more weight lose in the group without bread then the one with bread. So bread is ok, but never eat anything in excess.

Always be sure to eat breakfast as well. Your metabolism begins after you have had something to eat. So, breakfast will help you. Always be sure to eat three meals. Don't go crazy over bored. You do not want to diet to horribly. Just cut out bad things. Be sure to watch how much you eat as well. If your stomach starts to rumble, eat a small snack like watermelon or other fruits.

Just simple things will help. Don't over do anything and don't go extreme with the dieting. You go too extreme, you will be more likely to relapse into your bad habits, or to gain all the weight back much faster due to your body going into starvation mode. Starvation mode is when you eat too little for a long time. When you eat normal again, your body stores more fat to compensate in case it happens again.

Correct, although there are a number of things wrong with a fat person going to IF as first solution:

1. The body of obese people is used to a high daily calorie intake. If such a person would stop eating altogether for any period of time, the body would have trouble adapting. Best-case scenario: It will burn excessive fat tissue. Worst-case scenario: The body notices a lack of food and shifts into starvation mode. Homeostasis will eventually kick in anyway, most likely before any decent progress has been made.

2. The mindset of obese people is wrong to begin with. These people are not fat because "God made them fat", but because they lack a number of possible things. Bad nutrition (most likely), bad habits (again, likely), minimal exercise (very likely) and a number of other factors make someone go from lean to fat. Suddenly stop eating for an extended period of time will not make them eat more healthy once they are allowed to eat, nor will they make smarter choices in exercising or change their bad habits because of it. All they will do is stuff their face with the wrong food in a shorter amount of time.

Honestly, I think people who have serious fat issues are better off slowly changing their behavior and lifestyle, than to just try IF for a while. It might help in the very short term (think days, maybe a few weeks -only with dedication- but obese people lack that in general, tbh) but if they have not learned anything about changing their lifestyle, making healthy choices, starting with serious exercising and quitting bad habits, every bit of lost fat will just be temporary.

Thing is, the body doesn't go catabolic in under 24 hours. It just doesn't happen.

And with IF you're still getting all the energy you need, you're just not eating it spread out over the whole day.

I started using IF to see if I liked it better than the usual "three meals per day" or the overhyped (and quite frankly, wrong) "a tiny meal that won't make you feel full, ever, every hour or two to 'stoke the fires of metabolism'" thing that some people in the bodybuilding community swear by (leangains.com has a good explanation or two for why this "fires of metabolism" crap is just plain wrong btw, with references). Turns out I love it. I can eat one or two proper large meals per day and actually feel full afterwards (and the fullness lasts. If for some reason the "gazillion tiny bites per day" diet actually made me feel a little full at some point I would just feel slightly hungry 30 minutes later, and that slight hunger builds up until you just HAVE TO have a cheat day).

Still, everyone should find what works for them. Some people love going around half-hungry all the time. Others, like myself, prefer being really full once per day.

Thing is, the body doesn't go catabolic in under 24 hours. It just doesn't happen.

And with IF you're still getting all the energy you need, you're just not eating it spread out over the whole day.

I started using IF to see if I liked it better than the usual "three meals per day" or the overhyped (and quite frankly, wrong) "a tiny meal that won't make you feel full, ever, every hour or two to 'stoke the fires of metabolism'" thing that some people in the bodybuilding community swear by (leangains.com has a good explanation or two for why this "fires of metabolism" crap is just plain wrong btw, with references). Turns out I love it. I can eat one or two proper large meals per day and actually feel full afterwards (and the fullness lasts. If for some reason the "gazillion tiny bites per day" diet actually made me feel a little full at some point I would just feel slightly hungry 30 minutes later, and that slight hunger builds up until you just HAVE TO have a cheat day).

Still, everyone should find what works for them. Some people love going around half-hungry all the time. Others, like myself, prefer being really full once per day.

edit: Is there any evidence that eating below BMR over the short term is actually unhealthy? I've scoured the web for the science to back it up and all I can find is people referencing back and forth between bodybuilding.com and other popular sites without any reference to actual science.

Isn't eating below BMR the point when you're trying to lose weight? Unless I'm reading this statement wrong then it isn't unhealthy unless you consume too few of calories for an extended period of time. All depends on what you want to do, lose weight calores<BMR, put on weight calories>BMR.

I personally can't do IF because of digestion problems. If i don't eat for an extended period of time I get really bad acid reflux. Plus I honestly can't enough enough in one or two sittings to meet my daily calorie needs for building muscle(currently eating just under 4k a day) unless I go to a burger joint and get the biggest, greasiest burger on the menu that is 2k+ calories with a basket of fries... not very healthy. It doesn't really matter when you eat though and how many meals you eat every day. Just do what works for you and your body, if you aren't seeing results then change things up.

Isn't eating below BMR the point when you're trying to lose weight? Unless I'm reading this statement wrong then it isn't unhealthy unless you consume too few of calories for an extended period of time. All depends on what you want to do, lose weight calores<BMR, put on weight calories>BMR.

I personally can't do IF because of digestion problems. If i don't eat for an extended period of time I get really bad acid reflux. Plus I honestly can't enough enough in one or two sittings to meet my daily calorie needs for building muscle(currently eating just under 4k a day) unless I go to a burger joint and get the biggest, greasiest burger on the menu that is 2k+ calories with a basket of fries... not very healthy. It doesn't really matter when you eat though and how many meals you eat every day. Just do what works for you and your body, if you aren't seeing results then change things up.

I use myfitnesspal.com to watch calorie intake. It also helps me keep track of fat/carbs (Carbs are not your friend if you don't want to exercise, lol). I exercise 4 times a week, I burn 600 calories per session, simply walking/jogging or biking. I drink water and when I feel hungry or snack-y, I choose fruit/veggies because they are more filling with very few calories (broc and cucum are best).

[ ErenJaeger - Mistweaver Monk ]"We all die, that's just a natural part of life. But if you are living without a purpose, you're already dead." -Kiba, Wolf's Rain

Eating raw fruits and vegetables (not easy to do so always but definitely possible), walking/running, drinking more water, getting more sleep. These will help u lose weight.

Check Dan McDonald (the life regenerator) on youtube. He's been helping many people get in better shape and improve their lives (sorry don't mean to sound like i'm advertising something but this guy is legit and knows his stuff).

You won't be starving yourself as you can eat as much fruit as you want everyday.

You need to eat 20-24 meals a day. Each meal needs to be 90% good protein and the other 10% should be whey powder. You should also restrict the amount of water you intake because water weighs a lot. It weighs more than fat! You should also stop sleeping as much as you can because sleep doesn't burn a lot of calories. I have learned this from some guy who posted it on a website and made a lot of videos. He knows his stuff.

You need to eat 20-24 meals a day. Each meal needs to be 90% good protein and the other 10% should be whey powder. You should also restrict the amount of water you intake because water weighs a lot. It weighs more than fat! You should also stop sleeping as much as you can because sleep doesn't burn a lot of calories. I have learned this from some guy who posted it on a website and made a lot of videos. He knows his stuff.

-don't do sport before you lost 80% of your body fat (personal opinion)
-don't eat after 7 in the evening !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NEVER !!!!!!!!! NEVER !!!!!!!!!!! SERIOUSLY
-Get a breakfast !!!!!
-Eat small portions
-when you feel hungry.... drink water